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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29435118">Dancing by the Fire</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/calvinhobbesliker/pseuds/calvinhobbesliker'>calvinhobbesliker</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Toaru Kagaku no Railgun | A Certain Scientific Railgun, Toaru Majutsu no Index | A Certain Magical Index</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Friendship, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 16:40:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29435118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/calvinhobbesliker/pseuds/calvinhobbesliker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>During the Folk Dance, Saten and Uiharu make a better effort to prevent Kuroko from interrupting. This allows Mikoto and Touma to continue their conversation.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kamijou Touma/Misaka Mikoto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dancing by the Fire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Hello, everyone! Here’s another oneshot idea I came up with, based on what I think could’ve happened if Kuroko didn’t interrupt Mikoto and Touma’s dance at the end of the Daihasei Festival. I hope you guys enjoy it.</b>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saten grinned as the plan she had devised came to fruition. By asking Touma to the folk dance and then faking an injury, she had convinced Mikoto to dance with the boy who she so obviously had feelings for. And in order to prevent Kuroko from interfering, Saten and Uiharu had tied up the girl in her wheelchair, gagged her mouth with tape, and even blindfolded her to prevent her from teleporting. As a result, Mikoto now had the perfect opportunity to get closer with the boy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma was really confused. Saten, the girl he had borrowed the lucky charm from for the scavenger hunt, had earlier asked him to the folk dance. He had waited for her near the fire, since she’d asked him to go ahead. However, instead of Saten, it was Mikoto who had shown up with a really red face and dragged him to the dance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had been dancing for a bit in silence, but then Touma was unsure about the next move and said, “Uh, now the right hand goes up and...remind me what’s next?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto was still pretty flustered about dancing with the boy, but he had a nice, gentle grip on her hands, and he didn’t seem to mind dancing with her. Plus, this gave her the change to show her gratitude to him. She said to him in a soft voice, “You ended up saving me again.” Indeed, when she was about to destroy herself and Academy City due to the Level 6 Shift forced upon her, Touma had jumped to her rescue, losing his right arm only to have it unleash multiple dragons, which had devoured the energy barrier around her, returning Mikoto back to normal. This was now the second time the boy had saved her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma replied, “Huh? Yeah, really, I just helped out a little bit at the end, though. You had other people out there watching your back too, remember?” At this point, they were slowly walking together, holding each other’s hands and with Mikoto in front of and to the right of Touma. Touma found the girl’s hands really soft, deciding that dancing with her was not as bad as he’d thought it would be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl replied, “Mhm, a lot of people. My friends did so much for me.” She was really grateful to all of them, and a little embarrassed that they had to go through all that trouble for her. She then began, “So…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she paused, Touma said, “Hmm?” Mikoto was acting a bit different than usual. She seemed to be in a melancholic and reflective mood, so he made sure to listen carefully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto continued,  “I uh, don’t think I’ll ever forgive the bad people in this city, especially when they treat espers like lab rats. That said, I did meet all of you because I came to this city, and to be honest, I treasure those relationships. So next time, I want to be the one protecting my friends. It’s obvious, but it’s the least I can do in return for everyone’s help.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Touma let go of her left hand and twirled the girl around using his right hand, smiling at her and simply replying, “Yeah.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that, they faced each other and held both of each other’s hands again. As they swayed from side to side, Mikoto then said, “Um, and that’s all I wanted to say!” It had been nerve-racking, but Mikoto hoped she’d properly conveyed how thankful she was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They returned to the original dance formation, with Mikoto walking closely in front of him, their left hands connected in front of them and their right hands connected over Mikoto’s right shoulder. It took quite a bit of effort for Mikoto to hold herself together, with the boy’s arm nearly wrapped around her shoulders and her back in contact with his right arm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma was happy to hear her words. It was pretty unusual for her to open up like this, and he appreciated her kind words. Nevertheless, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease her, closing his eyes and saying, “Interesting, so that’s how you feel. I had no idea that you treasured having met me so much, it’s kind of flattering!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto panicked, “Ahh!” Her face immediately became completely red and she began making embarrassed noises.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy continued, “Or am I wrong? Because the way that you just said it includes me too! That’s what you intended, right?” She continued making those embarrassed noises, so Touma opened his eyes and said, “Uh, hey Misaka, that was your cue to jab back.” He’d expected her to immediately deny that she meant to include him, but it seemed like he’d broken her instead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto could barely hear what the boy was saying. He had thrown her off with that unexpected quip, and now she was a flustered mess. Trying to calm down a bit, Mikoto ended up leaning back into him, dropping their hands down so they were in front of her legs. Unconsciously fidgeting with the boy’s fingers, she was finally able to think again. Touma was clearly expecting a reply. Still blushing furiously, she ended up saying in a very soft voice, “I do treasure having met you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma was a bit confused when the girl leaned back against him, and he instinctively let their arms lower downwards. Mikoto’s soft hair was brushing against his cheek, and she was absent-mindedly playing with his hands. He blushed a little at their close position, but wondered what had come over her. Soon, she started to speak again. Her voice was almost too soft for Touma to hear, but his eyes widened when he heard her words. He had not expected her to actually agree with his teasing statement. After a pause, he replied, “Wait, really?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto tensed up as she realized what she had just said. A part of her wanted to deny it, but it was probably too late. Instead, she smiled and looked down at the ground, saying, “Yeah, you’ve really done a lot for me. More than I could ever repay you for.” As she said this, she gently caressed his hands with her thumbs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma wasn’t used to her being so open and honest. He said, “Wow, to be honest, I didn’t expect you to agree with me. You were supposed to loudly deny it, that’s how our banter works, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let out a sigh, frowned, and asked in a forlorn tone, “Are you happy, you idiot? Getting me to say something so embarrassing?” He was just teasing her, not being serious, but she just had to make a fool of herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hearing her sound so sad broke Touma’s heart a little. He had to admit, Mikoto had been pretty cute when she was embarrassed, but now he felt a little bad for teasing her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug from behind, resting his head on her shoulder. He then said in a consoling tone, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Misaka.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto was surprised when the boy embraced her, but she soon relaxed into him. With her eyes closed, she smiled and said, “It’s okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma then continued, “Well, like I said before, I’m very flattered that you feel that way about me. It makes me really happy.” It was nice to know that he had a girl in his life who appreciated him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto blushed at his sweet words. She had no idea that her honest admission would have such an effect on him. The girl turned around in his arms so she could face him. She then shyly gazed up at him and asked, “D-do you really mean that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy chuckled and answered, “Of course! It’s always nice to hear that you’re important to someone.” He then raised one of his hands up to her head and gently stroked her hair, continuing, “I treasure you too, Misaka.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl’s heart skipped a beat as she heard those words and felt his warm and comforting touch on her head. But she was a little doubtful about whether he actually meant it. Mikoto looked down with a sad smile and said, “It’s okay, you don’t need to say that just to make me feel better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma was a bit confused by her reaction and asked, “Huh? What are you talking about? I’m telling the truth!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto looked back up at him with a smirk and replied, “Really? You treasure the girl who’s just an acquaintance but who still keeps dragging you into her problems?” She was glad that he was always willing to help her out, but she figured it must be annoying for him to constantly have to do so. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma felt a sense of deja vu. This was similar to that fateful night on the bridge, when Mikoto hadn’t believed that he cared about her. Wanting to reassure her, the boy replied, “Yes, I do! I treasure the girl who spared no effort and risked her life to protect her little sisters. I treasure the girl who’s one of the strongest espers of Academy City but who’s still down-to-earth and has a big heart. But most of all, I treasure the girl who is my friend and who I always have fun hanging out with, even if she sometimes tries to shock me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl blushed furiously as he countered her self-deprecating question. She had been convinced that Touma would probably not have many nice things to say about her, but she was very touched that he considered her a friend and that he enjoyed her company. Plus, like the boy had said, it felt really great to hear him say that he treasured her.  Mikoto then wrapped her arms around his back, finally returning his hug. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she said, “Th-thanks. I’m also h-happy to hear that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma blushed as he was pulled into the girl’s warm embrace. He instinctively squeezed her a little tighter, realizing that this was his first time, at least as far as he could remember, really hugging a girl like this. Index sometimes hugged him, but this hug with Mikoto felt much warmer and more intimate. He combed his fingers through the back of her hair and replied, “You’re welcome, Biri-Biri!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Most of the time, him using that nickname irritated her, but right now, Mikoto was in much too good of a mood for it to rile her up. Instead, she chuckled and asked, “Did you have to ruin our nice moment by calling me that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy chuckled as well, and replied, “Well, at least you can’t shock me right now!” Indeed, since his right hand was currently nestled in her hair, Mikoto’s abilities were completely negated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto sighed, “Yeah, thanks to your weird right hand! You know, none of my abilities have been working ever since we started dancing. But even though I should feel vulnerable, I actually feel really safe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma then joked, “Oh really? It’s actually the same for me. I feel a lot safer when I’m holding onto you because you can’t shock me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto blushed in response. The girl knew that he didn’t mean it in that way, but he made it sound like he enjoyed holding her in his arms, and she hoped that he actually did enjoy it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While Mikoto and Touma were dancing, Saten and Uiharu had been watching them with grins on their faces. When Mikoto had begun the dance, dragging Touma along, Saten had observed, “Wow, her movements are stiff!” Mikoto had clearly been uncomfortable at the start, but fortunately that didn’t last too long.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kuroko had then struggled in her seat, but Uiharu had said with a grin, “No interrupting them now, Shirai-san.” Fortunately, Kuroko was unable to intervene at all, and so Saten and Uiharu had been able to watch without worrying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A bit later, Uiharu noticed, “Wow, Misaka-san looks frozen! I wonder what Kamijou-san said to her?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon afterwards, Saten excitedly observed, “She started talking again! Ooh, she’s leaning back into him. I wonder if she’s confessing something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uiharu’s eyes widened and she exclaimed, “Saten-san, look look, he’s hugging her from behind! Aww, that’s so sweet!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saten grinned, “I knew this plan would work out! Ooh, now she’s turning around!” A moment later, she gasped, “Oh my gosh, he’s running his fingers through her hair! I bet Misaka-san is enjoying that a lot!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At this point, Kuroko started furiously struggling against her restraints and groaning through her gag. Her onee-sama was being defiled by that troglodyte and she couldn’t even do anything about it! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uiharu then squealed, “Aww, she’s hugging him back now! They’re so cute together! Misaka-san is so lucky!” This only heightened Kuroko’s despair, and she began crying, unable to believe that Mikoto was willingly hugging that boy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A little bit later, Mikoto and Touma pulled out of their hug, but they still held onto each other’s hands. Touma gently rubbed circles on her hands with his thumbs and asked, “Hey Misaka, I was wondering, why did you come instead of Saten-san?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto nervously laughed, wondering how she should word her reply. Eventually, she answered, “Well, Saten-san said she had an injury that caught up to her, so she asked me to take her place. But I’m pretty sure she was faking it, and asked me to come instead because she figured out that I wanted to talk to you about something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma chuckled, “Sounds like she’s a good friend. And I really enjoyed dancing with you, Misaka!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto blushed and stammered, “M-me too!” She had been so nervous when Saten had told her to go dance with him, but now she was happy that she decided to do so.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At this point, since Mikoto and Touma were just standing still and no longer dancing, Saten and Uiharu decided to catch up with them, with Uiharu pushing the still-restrained Kuroko in her wheelchair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma let go of Mikoto’s left hand to wave at them, “Oh, hello again Saten-san, Uiharu-san, and...Shirai-san?” He was very confused by Kuroko’s current state.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saten grinned, “Hey, Kamijou-san! Sorry for ditching you, but Misaka-san really wanted to dance with you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto’s face reddened at her friend’s remark, and she protested, “S-Saten-san!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy laughed, “No worries, I had a lot of fun dancing with Misaka!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saten was very pleased at this. She turned to Mikoto with a smirk and said, “That’s great! Did you have fun too, Misaka-san?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her question had the effect of embarrassing Mikoto even further, but she stammered, “Y-yeah, I did. Th-thanks, Saten-san!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma then asked, “By the way, why is Shirai-san tied up like that?” Kuroko had been furiously struggling against her bonds, and the boy wondered if she was okay.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uiharu explained, “Oh, that’s for your own safety, Kamijou-san. Shirai-san probably wants to dropkick you and teleport multiple spikes into your body right now. Here, I’ll show you.” She then proceeded to remove the tape from Kuroko’s mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kuroko was still blindfolded, but she knew where Touma was by the direction of his voice. She immediately turned towards him and ranted, “How dare you lay your filthy hands on my onee-sama! When I get my hands on you, you’ll pay!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma nervously gulped. He was aware that Kuroko was into Mikoto, but her extreme behavior still surprised and, more importantly, scared him. He turned to Mikoto and asked, “Is she always like this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto sighed, “Most of the time, she’s a very reliable friend. But sometimes she gets pretty crazy like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kuroko scowled, annoyed that her onee-sama was throwing her under the bus. She demanded, “Uiharu, can you at least take off my blindfold?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Uiharu sternly replied, “Do you promise not to cause any problems, Shirai-san?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kuroko reluctantly replied, “Yes, I’ll behave myself, I promise.” Uiharu was a bit worried, but she decided to remove the blindfold, hoping that it wouldn’t cause any trouble. Kuroko immediately saw that Mikoto and Touma were still holding hands. She suppressed the urge to teleport and dropkick him immediately, but she angrily asked, “Why are you still holding my onee-sama’s hand, you troglodyte?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma blushed as he was reminded that he and Mikoto were still holding hands. They’d been doing so for a while, so he hadn’t really noticed. The boy turned to Mikoto and nervously rubbed his neck with his free hand. saying, “Oh, sorry Misaka.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto was really flustered, but she didn’t want to stop holding his hand, so she stammered, “I-it’s okay, I don’t m-mind.” After a pause, she continued, “D-do you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy smiled at her and said, “I don’t mind either. It actually feels nice.” He squeezed her hand as he said this. His response caused Saten and Uiharu to excitedly gush, while Kuroko only became angrier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uiharu noticed Kuroko’s expression and tried changing the subject, “Oh, Kamijou-san, didn’t you and Misaka-san have some sort of bet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma sighed, “Yeah, we had a bet over which of our schools would do better in the competition.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kuroko sneered, “How could you possibly think that your school could ever defeat Tokiwadai? You’re even more stupid than I thought!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy then explained, “Yeah, I indeed ended up losing, so now I have to do whatever Misaka says.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto smirked and pointed at his face, exclaiming, “That’s right, you have to do whatever I tell you to! You better prepare yourself!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saten asked in a teasing tone, “Ooh, what are you going to make him do, Misaka-san?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto nervously replied, “Oh, I-I haven’t completely decided. I have a bunch of ideas for what I can make this idiot do, but I haven’t narrowed them down yet!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma didn’t like the sound of that, fearing what degrading things she would make him do. He nervously smiled and pleaded, “Hey, Misaka, could you maybe go a little easy on me, please?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl gazed at his face as he made the request. As she thought about it, Mikoto found herself becoming more open to being lenient on him. After all, he had just saved her again, so maybe she owed it to him to at least not be too harsh. She looked down and shyly replied, “O-okay, I won’t make you do anything t-too bad. But y-you better stay with me the whole way through!”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy sighed in relief, glad that she’d decided to have mercy on him. He gave her a warm smile and rubbed her head with his free hand, exclaiming, “Thanks, Misaka! I promise I will! You’re the best!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto blushed furiously at his praise, deciding her decision had been well worth it. She replied, “Y-you’re welcome!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saten was grinning from ear to ear. Not only did she get to witness this cute scene, with Mikoto looking absolutely adorable with her shy demeanor, but her friend would soon have what was basically a date with the boy she liked. Her plan had succeeded beyond her wildest expectations!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uiharu also enjoyed the scene, but she glanced nervously at Kuroko, worried about her reaction. To her surprise, Kuroko looked stunned rather than furious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kuroko had never seen her onee-sama so shy and docile before. How was that troglodyte able to achieve this with just a smile and a headpat? She had to grudgingly respect the boy, and admitted to herself that she had perhaps underestimated him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma then pulled Mikoto into a hug and softly said, “All right, I should probably head home now. I’ll see you later, Biri-Biri!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto was surprised by the sudden hug, but she returned his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. She chuckled and replied, “I told you not to call me that, you idiot! But I’m looking forward to our penalty game!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they separated, Touma waved goodbye to the girls and left. He was really happy, especially since he’d gotten to spend time with Mokoto without ever being in danger of getting shocked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saten then turned to Mikoto with a grin, “Aww, he calls you Biri-Biri? That’s a really cute nickname!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto rolled her eyes, “It’s an annoying nickname, and he keeps calling me that no matter how many times I tell him not to!” She then smiled, “But anyway, I guess I should thank you, Saten-san.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saten replied, “You’re very welcome, Misaka-san! You must be looking forward to that date with Kamijou-san!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto’s face reddened and she stammered, “D-date? Wh-what are you talking about? It’s just a penalty game!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uiharu then said, “So that’s the boy that you like. You two would make a cute couple!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto shook her head, “I-it’s not like that, we’re just f-friends.” And while she was very happy that Touma considered her a friend, she knew that he didn’t see her as anything more at the moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saten then asked, “You two looked pretty close during your dance! Wouldn’t you like to do some of those things with him again in the future?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikoto shyly looked down and played with her fingers, “Y-yeah, I would.” The girl felt that she’d grown a lot closer to the boy during their dance, and she now looked forward to the penalty game, hoping that she could have some more nice moments with Touma.</span>
</p>
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